want to buy W124 400e, how good is this car? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

werminghausen · #1 02-25-2016, 07:04 AM

I am about to buy a 400e

What are your experiences with this car? drivability, maintenance?
Any pitfalls?

Martin

anziani · #2 02-25-2016, 10:52 AM

Well you don't tell us what year it is but we had a '95 E420 that was faultless. I've had 5 Benzes and it and my CL600 were at the top of the stack. A fellow forum member grabbed it when I sold it. It had 150K with a minimum of troubles.
Anziani
'97 CL600 53K

PARSHOOT1 · #3 02-25-2016, 08:58 PM

How many miles? Ownership history? Repair history? As can see from my sig, I like these cars and actually have a couple more not listed. I would argue, like any other 24 year old MB, your experiences, positive or negative, will only as good as your answers to the 3 questions I just posed. Others would argue an MB V8 can be a pita, and they can, but get out on the highway with one and all those arguments are forgotten. So are you looking at a beater or garage queen?

gatorblue92 · #4 02-26-2016, 04:37 AM

I had a 93 400E for about a year and kinda regret selling it. The driving experience is totally different than the inline sixes and the fuel mileage is better too. I would get around 20MPG no matter how I drove it. These cars are all plagued by the ecojunk wiring harness that MB used at the time so that is something that will need to be replaced if it hasn't already. The transmissions on the V8 cars seem to be more robust than the sixes and last longer between rebuilds. Maintenance is more expensive on the M119. You have two distributors to deal with and these cars have a very sensitive ignition system. I would buy another if one came along for the right price and in the right condition before I would ever think about another 6 cylinder W124 sedan.

werminghausen · #5 02-26-2016, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PARSHOOT1

How many miles? Ownership history? Repair history? As can see from my sig, I like these cars and actually have a couple more not listed. I would argue, like any other 24 year old MB, your experiences, positive or negative, will only as good as your answers to the 3 questions I just posed. Others would argue an MB V8 can be a pita, and they can, but get out on the highway with one and all those arguments are forgotten. So are you looking at a beater or garage queen?

car: 1992: 160K miles. Not a good record of ownership, CA car- no rust, nice interiors (as far as I saw while test driving) paint suffered from CA sun (clear coat cracked on micro scale). No good repair history but all seems to be stock.

Engine is quick, although I had to step on the pedal quite a bit until it went. Shift points are low (not like the 500e).

I am looking for a daily driver to keep over many, many years.

what about climate control? pita like the W126

Is the car in quality compared to the W126?

Martin

werminghausen · #6 02-26-2016, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gatorblue92

I had a 93 400E for about a year and kinda regret selling it. The driving experience is totally different than the inline sixes and the fuel mileage is better too. I would get around 20MPG no matter how I drove it. These cars are all plagued by the ecojunk wiring harness that MB used at the time so that is something that will need to be replaced if it hasn't already. The transmissions on the V8 cars seem to be more robust than the sixes and last longer between rebuilds. Maintenance is more expensive on the M119. You have two distributors to deal with and these cars have a very sensitive ignition system. I would buy another if one came along for the right price and in the right condition before I would ever think about another 6 cylinder W124 sedan.

Thanks gator,
20MPG that is not so bad!

I think the seller exchanged the wire harness (I don't know what ecojunk harness is). I am not afraid of maintenance if it can be done in my garage.
Maintenance: more expensive... can you tell?
You mentioned 2 distributors and sensitive ignition system. Is it just keeping the points and distributor in good shape ...or more?

trans: I felt that the transmission didn't want to shift quickly...bad response (kind of a lack until it shifted) if you hit the pedal. Is that something that can be adjusted?

is the HVAC a pita on these car (I remember when I had to change the climate brain and the vacuum pots on my 126).

The car I am looking at is definitely not a garage queen in future. It needs to be a daily work hose and I am tending to stick to cars for a long time -10 years is not unusual.

I am buying this car today for 3K.

here are pics
https://picasaweb.google.com/100856643715963853976/400e?feat=directlink

Martin

babymog · #7 02-26-2016, 09:46 AM

The '93 124 build quality and robustness of design is the same as the 126. The chassis is much stiffer on the 124, and you have a less expensive front suspension rebuild, otherwise most of the 126 stuff applies: bushings and the like.

The vacuum pods under the dash are similar, some will fail sooner than others, depends on the climate I suppose, ... eventually all rubber fails.

DieselPaul · #8 02-26-2016, 10:23 AM

W124 400Es have 2.24 rear gears, which is why they don't scream away from a standing start. However notice on the speedo the 3-4 shift point is at like 130mph. They have incredibly long legs on the highway and just pull and pull and pull.

My dad has a 1994 E420 with a document wiring harness, ETA, cam oilers, and a recent ignition tune up. It's been an amazing car, and he's seen closer to 28mpg on pure highway trips.

dtf · #9 02-26-2016, 10:31 AM

I owned a '94 E320 wagon for 300,000 miles and it probably has some of the same things your E400 has - like a very expensive evaporator to fix if it goes bad. I think the whole dash needs to come apart to get to it so the labor is ridiculous. The evaporators have a pretty high failure rate too.

Also - I remember something about top oil tubes on either the E400 or the E420 that were plastic and cracked causing quite a problem. A quick search on that might shed some light on it.

werminghausen · #10 02-26-2016, 12:15 PM

Thanks,

just bought the car and drove it home. Nice ride. It feels much tighter compared to the 126. I like that.

What concerned me is the oil pressure. The gauge dropped to below 1 bar at idle (600ish) and reached 3 bar only at 1500rpm and not before.
pressure drops to 2 bar at 1000rpm.
Is that of any concern?

Is the car sitting lower on the street than another 124? Is the suspension harder?
I guess the brakes are bigger?

I heard that the engine might be economical if tuned correctly. That is a nice thing. Who on the forum knows about the ignition of the 400e?

420 engine: Does it have the plastic connector at the cam oil lines and does it have the plastic guides at the timing chain? The one that can break off?
Maybe these needed to be exchanged at some point in time.

gear ratio: yes long legs.... I can feel this and the trans doesn't like to shift down unless you really push til the end (and hit the switch at the bottom).

Is there a way to make it downshift easier/earlier?

evaporator and HVAC:
I have changed the evaporator on the 126 .... very much a pita.
This car runs on 134a... will see when it is warmer.

Martin

DieselPaul · #11 02-26-2016, 01:29 PM

Maybe I've missed it, but what year is the car. That will impact a couple of your questions.

werminghausen · #12 02-26-2016, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselPaul

Maybe I've missed it, but what year is the car. That will impact a couple of your questions.

The car is a 1992 W 124 400E.

werminghausen · #13 02-26-2016, 02:24 PM

Someone said the oil pressure sensor might be bad and showing too low pressure all the way.
Can that be true?

Martin

gatorblue92 · #14 02-26-2016, 03:03 PM

Looks nice from the pictures. Yours is a 92 so it will have metal oiler tubes for the cams but it does indeed have plastic timing chain guides. $3000 is not a bad price at all. Typically when the oil pressure sender fails it either reads zero or 3 bar at all times. Honestly I think your pressure is fine but I might be inclined to change the oil and use 15w40 Shell Rotella T.

werminghausen · #15 02-26-2016, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gatorblue92

Looks nice from the pictures. Yours is a 92 so it will have metal oiler tubes for the cams but it does indeed have plastic timing chain guides. $3000 is not a bad price at all. Typically when the oil pressure sender fails it either reads zero or 3 bar at all times. Honestly I think your pressure is fine but I might be inclined to change the oil and use 15w40 Shell Rotella T.

Thanks Gator,
Rotella, the stuff that you put in a diesel correct? With thicker oil it will put up more pressure all the way. Would you also drive Rotella in winter?

How grand are chances that the plastic guide break off?
I had these parts changed on a W109 that was 45 year old.... this car is new with 24 years in comparison.... who knows.

Martin